Limerick storyteller takes play to Edinburgh Fringe Festival
LIMERICK storyteller Sinéad O'Brien will bring her new solo show to Scotland.
Have you ever been swapping funny stories about your parents with friends and then when it's your turn to share, everyone stops laughing, they tilt their heads, their mouths hang open in horror and they ask “Oh my god, what?”
Titled No One Is Coming, the dark comedy of “mythical proportions” tells the story of the turbulent relationship between daughter and mother.
With her play, Sinéad infuses old Irish folklore with modern day mammy issues to get to the bottom of what happens once the darkness comes.
Between Ireland and Amsterdam, the theatre maker wanders across Europe and the UK to share stories, work with local communities, as well as help others to find their voice.
Now, with her first solo show, it's her turn to tell her own story. The artist has been invited to perform at the National Scottish Storytelling Gallery in Edinburgh.
Speaking of No One Is Coming, she says: “This is a love letter to my mother that I will never send... a coming of age story about what it’s like to realise your mother isn’t like all the other mams at the school gate. I hope it speaks to all those who love their parents from a safe distance.”
Sinéad has just been named in To Do List's London's Top 50 unmissable shows, which is no mean feat considering there are over 3,200 shows at this year's Edinburgh fringe.
After touring her show through Europe, the fringe represents the “culmination of this show's success.”
Sinéad studied in the UK and was a resident storyteller for the 130 year-old anti-poverty charity Toynbee Hall in East London, before the pandemic.
Directed by Iranian Dutch director, Sahand Sahebdivani, the show was first commissioned by Amsterdam's International Storytelling Festival in 2021 and enjoyed critical success at Prague Fringe, as well as London's Riverside Studios.
This year, Sinéad is looking forward to bringing her heartfelt modern mix of memories and myth to new audiences, and perhaps, someday, perform at home in Ireland - just don't tell Sinéad's mother.